Growing Up Blackquill
by Freshy
Summary: Let's face it. The Blackquills are no ordinary family. Just to show you my point, here's a few snapshots of their obviously unordinary childhood. Throughout their bickering, teasing, and growing pains, one thing is a constant: their familial love for each other...or at least that's what they call it...
1. Age 9 Age 0

Aura was nine years old when she became an older sister, and she didn't like the idea one bit, mostly because it was the birth of her brother that made her miss her school's science fair…something she had been looking forward to since this was the first year she could compete. Her father tried to assure her, "don't worry, you're going to love him" but how could she love a vulnerable bundle of flesh that wasn't even remotely interesting? In fact, if her parents wanted another child so bad, why didn't they just ask her to make one? She did have a talent for robotic engineering after all. But no, they decided to go through the trouble of having a child by themselves (something she was still trying to figure out), and now she was stuck in a hospital waiting room with nothing to do. When her brother would be old enough, she was going to make sure he would be very grateful for taking the time out of her life to see him for the first time.

_As if they're not going to bring him home after today…I could just see him whenever I want. Why is today so special? _She sighed and kicked her feet back and forth on the chair. Soon, an unnamed nurse came into the room and signaled for her father and her to come into the delivery room. Her father quickly bolted up from his chair and took her tiny hand into his as they walked into the room where her mother and newborn brother were waiting. Aura regarded the situation as cautiously as she could. The room smelled of strong chemicals, and strange machines were hooked up to her mother. For some reason, she almost didn't feel comfortable walking into the room her mother just gave birth in. She let go of her father's hand and stood off to the side as he went over to his wife and kissed her on the lips, reaching a hand down to pat the little bundle of blankets on the head. At least that's what it looked like from her height.

"Aura." Her mother's voice beckoned her to come over.

Hesitantly, Aura complied and her father picked her up so she could get a better look at her brother. She normally would have yelled at her father and demand him to put her down because she was too big for that now, but the moment she locked eyes onto her baby brother's steel gray eyes, whatever she wanted to say was swallowed up and forgotten about in an instant. There was something…strange about him. She had seen babies before, with their bald almost alien-like features, and their piercing shrieks as they were in an unfamiliar environment, but he was nothing like them. His skin was a healthy pink, but the top of his head was already covered with a thick patch of dark black hair. More importantly, he wasn't crying at all, instead regarding her with an intense glare…or as intense a baby could manage anyways.

"Aura, this is Simon. He's your baby brother." Her mother whispered, her voice weak but happy, filled with a hint of pride at the new addition to their family. The baby- Simon- squirmed a bit in her grasp. "I think he wants you to hold him."

_Does he want me to hold him, or does he want to kill me? _Aura raised her eyebrow, but her father put her on the ground and instructed her to hold her arms out, so it wasn't like she had a say in the matter anyways. Most of her friends who became older siblings often complained about their newborn brother or sister hogging all the attention, obviously jealous that they weren't the center of their parents' world anymore. Some, on the other hand, were excited about their new role as the older one, and even felt responsible for their baby siblings' well-being themselves. Aura felt neither. Even a few hours after her brother was born, their parents still tried to include her in on the occasion. When she sat down to cradle him in her arms, she didn't really feel a sense of overprotectiveness either. Rather, she was more disinterested in him. Great, she had a brother. Life goes on.

Her parents were still observing her, and she wondered just what it was that they wanted. Maybe some cute, first ever sibling interaction? She stifled the urge to groan and tried to say as nicely as possible,

"Hi, Simon. I'm Aura. I'm your older sister."

Simon didn't even smile or cry at her voice. Instead, he just stared up at her, no curiosity or any interest in her for that matter. Well, at least the feeling was mutual. However, he still continued to glower up at her like he was trying to intimidate her with his three hour old self. She supposed that was kind of adorable.

"What do you think, Aura?" Her mother asked expectantly.

She shrugged. "He's…cute." _For lack of a better word._

"Now, Aura." Her father began in a tone that Aura knew all too well. She was about to receive a lecture. "Simon is your little brother. As the older sister, you have a responsibility to look out for him and protect him until he gets older. If Mommy and Daddy are unavailable, then you will be the one in charge of him. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Father." She replied.

"Good. And…please be careful with him. He isn't a robot."

She knew that much at least though she supposed that meant no trying to attach robotic parts to him. Aura gazed down at her newborn brother again, only to be met with those same cold eyes on her.

"You're a strange one, aren't you?" She whispered, out of the earshot of her parents.

In response, Simon just made a small noise that almost sounded like, "Hmph."

"I'm sure you'll get along real well." Her mother followed up, a huge smile on her face at seeing them together.

Oh…they'd get along _real _well alright.


	2. Age 9 Age 8 mo

The eight months following Simon's birth were a huge adjustment for the Blackquill family. They were quick to find out that Simon was unlike any other baby they had seen before. Naturally, he cried whenever he needed something, but his behavior itself was very strange. As most babies would normally be easily fascinated with the world, Simon never showed any captivation whatsoever: not with his toys, not with the lights in his room, not anything. There was one moment where he had a fleeting interest when he discovered he could move his arms, but the only thing he ever did with that was stick his fist in his mouth and suck on it. He didn't smile that often as well, and it had gotten to the point where their mother wanted to get him into a doctor to see if something was wrong with his development. However, the doctor reassured her that everything was fine and that was just his personality. A few days later, Aura tripped and dropped her toolbox, scattering the tools everywhere, and let out a few words that a girl of nine years shouldn't even know about. That actually got Simon to smile and even laugh, and had it not been for his reaction, Aura was sure she would have been scolded immensely by her parents for using such language.

For Aura, her life still remained pretty much the same, save for the fact that she was now an older sister. However, word of her having a baby brother had gotten out at her elementary school, and she wasn't hearing the end of it from her friends.

"I bet he's so cute!"

"I hear little brothers are the best."

"I always wanted a little brother myself."

"You're so lucky, I'm the youngest in my family."

"Aura, you _have _to let us come over and see him!"

Aura really didn't understand what their deal was, fawning over a baby that they hadn't even met, nor did she see the excitement of having a little brother. Of course, when she brought that up with her friends, they all just gave her weird stares, much to her confusion. Simon couldn't even do anything for himself yet, so why should she be excited about him? She even brought up the issue to her mother that night at dinner after trying (and failing) to convince her parents why they should give Simon away.

"Aura, you used to be a baby yourself." She merely responded. "You couldn't even walk or talk until you were almost one and a half. But your father and I never once thought about giving you away."

She did have a point, just like she always did. Gosh, why was her mother so good at doing that? However, her response was enough to pacify Aura's feelings about baby Simon. She glanced over to her brother, who was sitting in his high chair, and she decided that she would eventually come around and actually be happy that she was his older sister. Then Simon picked up his bowl of yogurt and dumped it all over his head, making Aura seriously rethink that statement.

* * *

"But why do I need a babysitter though?" Aura complained.

Both her parents were very busy individuals, with her father being a CEO of his own chemical plant and her mother a spokesperson for a large engineering company. Before Simon was born, they were either out working very late into the night every week, or out on business trips that would last the entire weekend or a couple days longer. With her mother being on maternity leave when she got pregnant, Aura had gotten too used to having one or both her parents at home for once, and almost forgot about having someone to watch over her altogether.

Her father smiled guiltily as he knelt down to pat her head. "Because even if you don't, Simon does."

Using the baby as an excuse? She wasn't buying it. "So what? I'm almost ten. I bet I'm responsible enough to watch over him and the house." She crossed her arms and gave him a pout.

"And I don't doubt you could, but not until you're thirteen. Okay?" He kissed her on the cheek before walking towards the door with young Aura in tow. "Besides, I thought you liked Brianna."

Well…she didn't _dislike _her. Brianna virtually didn't do anything, and she basically fit into every stereotype Aura had about teenagers: raiding the fridge, texting on their phones, sleeping in front of the T.V., and making out with their significant other. Aura knew that Brianna pretty much ripped her parents off every time she babysat because she never did her job, but she stayed out of Aura's way and that was enough for Aura to tolerate her. However, Brianna's mood was almost unpredictable. Some nights, she'd come over and act as her lazy, teenaged self, inviting her boyfriend over and making out with him until her parents were on their way home. Other nights, she'd be in a very hissy mood and would yell, argue, and breathe down her neck until forcing her to go to bed at an unreasonably early hour. Only reason Aura didn't tell her parents yet was because Brianna was usually her chance to go off and do her own thing as a nine-year-old, and she almost didn't want to risk giving that up if she outed her babysitter. But this time, who knew how all of this would go now that Simon was in the picture? Aura almost didn't want to find out.

"Your mother will be home at midnight. I'll be back a few hours after that." Her father said as he put on his coat. "Simon's been fed and bathed, but tell Brianna to check his diaper every couple hours and to put him to bed at approximately 7:30. Be good, I'll see you in the morning."

Once her father was gone, Aura sighed. All she had to do now was wait for certain doom to arrive. Unfortunately, the only successful thing Brianna did as a babysitter was show up on time, which was quite surprising in itself. Suddenly, something hit the back of her head.

"Ow!" Aura winced, rubbing the afflicted area. She looked down and saw a rubber ring that went to one of Simon's toys. She picked up the object and turned around to see her brother standing up, supporting himself against the couch, with a devious smirk on his face.

Aura scowled at him. "Hope that was worth it because the next time you see this ring, it's going to be on one of my robots."

Simon merely snorted in response and attempted to climb up onto the couch. Aura debated about getting him back by slightly pulling the couch back when a knock came at the door. Aura knew immediately who it was, and she had a feeling of annoyance rise up within her. The door unlocked, and in stepped Brianna with that snooty, bored look on her face. She regarded Aura with a curt stare, which Aura had no problem returning.

"Did you finish your homework, brat?"

"Yes."

"Study?"

"Yes."

"Clean your room?"

"Yes."

"So why are you just standing there?"

Aura didn't respond as the two never broke eye contact until Brianna looked passed her and raised an eyebrow.

"Who's that?" She asked.

Aura looked back and saw that she was talking about Simon. "Simon. He's my brother."

"Since when did you have a brother?"

"Uh, since my mother gave birth to him eight months ago?" Aura responded, knowing and not caring how condescending she sounded. Were all teenagers this stupid? Lord willing she wouldn't grow up to be like one of them…

Brianna tossed her nose up in disgust and tsked. "Great, another brat to deal with. Your parents better give me a raise."

For some reason, Aura felt a sense of anger when she heard Brianna call her own brother a "brat." No one should be allowed to speak about her brother that way in front of her. Nevertheless, Aura just bit her tongue to contain her anger and stepped towards her babysitter.

"My dad said to check his diaper every few hours and he needs to be put to bed at 7:30."

Brianna dismissively waved her hand. "Um, no. This isn't what I signed up for, and besides he's _your _brother. Haven't your parents showed you how they take care of him?"

"A couple times…"

"Then you can take care of him." Brianna mockingly ruffled her hair as she sauntered over the couch and turned the T.V. on. Simon regarded her with a cautious glare. Brianna stared back at him. "What are you looking at?"

Simon made no expression, just continuing to glare at her. Finally, Brianna couldn't take anymore and threw her hands up. "Ugh, can you take him away? He's creeping me out!"

Aura smiled a bit upon seeing how Simon intimidated her. She picked him up and headed for the stairs.

"By the way," Brianna called, not bothering to look away from the television. "Tyler's coming over, so you better not come down here. In fact, go to bed right now. I don't wanna see you come downstairs once this evening."

Aura rolled her eyes and disappeared upstairs with her brother in her arms.

* * *

Simon was restless. No matter what Aura tried to do, she just couldn't get him to lie still in his crib and stop his incessant infant babbling. She put a pacifier in his mouth, he would immediately spit it out. She would hand him a toy, and he'd only throw it right back at her. It was obvious he was frustrated, and Aura was actually able to sympathize with him on this one.

"Look, I know it sucks." She said, knowing full well that he couldn't understand her. "But she's really mean when you don't listen to her."

Simon just blathered angrily at her, and Aura sighed and finally took him out of his crib. He squirmed in her grasp until she finally put him down on a couch in the lounge. Now that he was in her care, she couldn't spend the evening working on her robots like she had planned to.

"Stupid Brianna and her stupid boyfriend." She groaned, plopping down next to him on the couch.

"S-Soo…peh…" Simon muttered. For once, his baby gibberish made sense.

"My point exactly."

Aura flipped on the T.V. to a random channel showing an animated cartoon. These sorts of shows didn't interest her, but the moment she flipped the channel to the robotics channel, Simon let out a small cry of disapproval and punched her on the thigh. Confused, she switched the channel back to the one showing the cartoon and immediately noticed the entranced look on Simon's face as he watched it. This was the first time Aura ever saw Simon so mesmerized before. He even leaned back and jammed his fist in his mouth, completely absorbed in this show. Not really in the mood to fight her brother over control for the T.V., she just crossed her arms as she watched the cartoon. It was about a Samurai fighting these weird monsters, and while the animation and plotline were pretty good, she just didn't see the appeal of it. Instead, she found more amusement in observing her brother watching the show. His eyes were wide and sparkling with wonder, and he cooed softly to himself. Aura snorted.

"You're drooling all over yourself, you dweeb." She laughed as she used his bib to mop up the wetness on his mouth. Simon didn't even move.

Eventually, the show came to an end, and when Aura turned the T.V. off, Simon looked like he had just seen God Himself. She ruffled his hair and he jerked up as he was brought back to the present.

"Alright, Si, let's get you into bed."

"Mmf."

"Simon?"

Simon, gripping the armrest for support, carefully slipped off the couch and crawled over to where the lounge overlooked the downstairs living room. Curious, Aura followed after him to see what he was doing, and to make sure he didn't accidentally climb over the edge. The first thing she noticed was Brianna and Tyler making out on their couch. She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Simon." She whispered. "We were supposed to be in bed almost an hour ago."

Simon glared down at the couple as he used the bars surrounding the edge to stand. Aura watched him intently, waiting with anticipation to see what this little eight month old might do. Simon moved his hand to his waist, mimicking the samurai they watched in that cartoon. Aura chuckled. Oh, this was cute. Her little brother actually thought he could do that same move in the show. Quickly, he flicked his arm forward as fast as he could, creating a _whooshing _sound from his tiny fingers. Suddenly, Brianna and Tyler yelped out in surprise, instantly pulling away from each other. They looked around dumbfounded and alert, almost like they were under attack.

"What the hell was that?" Brianna shouted.

"It was almost like someone threw a dart at us." Tyler gulped.

Aura covered her mouth in shock, and noticed Simon getting ready to do that same move again. Before she could discourage him, he flicked his arm out again and Tyler's shirt sleeve actually split open. The two teenagers sprung up from the couch.

"We're under attack!" Tyler yelled.

"Who's doing this to us?" Brianna screamed.

Another _whoosh _sound, and Brianna and Tyler scrambled from their positions and ran around the house, shouting and trying to look for cover. The two, in a wild state of panic, weren't looking where they were going and ended up crashing into each other, knocking the other unconscious. Simon grinned with satisfaction as he looked up at his sister. Aura had no idea what just happened, but Simon just found a way to utterly mess with their babysitter and unwanted guest. Did he really just pull off a move from an animated television show…? She laughed. Of course not. Maybe he was that good at creating sound effects.

"Simon…" She smiled down at him. "I think I'm really starting to be excited about having you for a brother."

Simon giggled at her, and she took him into her arms to hug him tight.

"Alright, fun's over. Let's go to bed."

For once, Simon didn't protest when he was placed in his crib. However when Aura turned to leave, Simon made a noise that sounded like "no" and gripped onto her shirt sleeve. Aura just stared at him. It was obvious he didn't want her to leave just yet. Sighing, she climbed into the crib, which was a little too small for her taste, and Simon immediately snuggled up next to her.

"I do like you, but I swear you can be more trouble than you're worth." She mumbled.

Simon just smiled.

Later that night, Aura awoke to the sound of her parents' conversing silently with each other, and she could have sworn she heard her mother say, "Looks like he's finally growing on her."

* * *

**Wow, thanks for the reviews guys. Hope you liked this chapter *goes to study for finals***


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